Montana to Wyoming Roadtrip

Leaving Kalispell. Somewhere beyond Butte, MT. on our way to Jackson Hole, WY.

The time has come to leave Montana and head to Jackson Hole/Teton Village, WY. We are traveling a day early due to weather forecasts of impending snow to the tune of 12 - 18" plus high winds. Gotta beat that storm! We leave Montana on Thursday, Dec. 28. My younger brother and my oldest son's birthday. The roads in Kalispell, MT. are already slick and travel is slow. We are in no rush.

We carefully pass through Missoula and Butte, and then cross the Continental Divide (this will happen several more times) at elevation 5,898 feet in Divide, MT. along Rte. 15. There are herds of what look like gazelle or antelope in the pastures. We later learn they are Pronghorn Antelope, but I used Wikipedia, so please correct me if I am wrong!! Eventually we reach Idaho. We pick up Rte. 26 in Idaho Falls, the North Yellowstone Highway. Idaho Falls is interesting. Kind of a throw-back town. There is a large temple of the Church of Latter Day Saints, the "Ya Hippie" Shop, Scotty's Drive-In Burger Shop (which looks totally cool), an actual drive-in movie theater, the road to the west gate of Yellowstone Park (which should be on everyone's bucket list) and a mix of all types of new and old shops.

Movin' down the highway towards Teton Village, WY.

This road turns into the Swan Valley Highway, US Rte. 26. The mountains are once again emerging. We see beautiful vistas with the Snake River winding along the side of the road. Next is the Teton Scenic Byway, Rte. 31. It is pretty dark by now. There are lots of pull-offs for viewing, but too dark to really see anything. Rte. 31 ends in Victor, Idaho, a small but cute western town. 31 turns into Hwy. 33. We are now in Wyoming, and turn again onto WY. 22, headed through the Teton Pass. Caution, 10% grade ahead. We start to climb immediately. Steep switchbacks for the next 10 - 15 miles. The snowbanks grow, the turns are significant and the guardrails are non-existent. After what seems like forever, it is finally time to go down. Winding, winding roads in the pitch black except for the headlights of cars traveling each way. We can look down off the side of the road and see cars at least 1,000 feet below us making their way down the steep traverse. Finally we hit the flats. The Moose-Wilson Road leads us to Teton Village, which will be our home through the New Year. The mountains loom, but one has lights on it. The snowcats are grooming for me. And now appear the lights of Teton Village. Our next destination awaits.